Blog: Food safety during the holidays

Many of the symptomsof food poisoning mimic those of the garden-variety flu, sometimes leavingpeople to wonder if the cause was the food they ate or a virus they pickedup along the way.

Rae-Ann Tucker-Marshall Henry-Stark Health Department

The Environmental Health Division of the Henry and Stark County HealthDepartment notes that according to the Centers for Disease Control andPrevention (CDC), "76 million Americans contract foodborne diseases everyyear, affecting more people than the common cold." But many of the symptomsof food poisoning mimic those of the garden-variety flu, sometimes leavingpeople to wonder if the cause was the food they ate or a virus they pickedup along the way.

Despite the prevalence of foodborne illnesses, it can be hard torecognize them. Like people with the "stomach flu," those with foodborneillness usually suffer from vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. DorothyDavid, Director of Environmental Health Services with the Health Departmentstates, " There's no real easy way to distinguish between many types offoodborne illness and a flu bug, but with the flu, one might be more apt tosee generalized aches and pains and just overall not feeling well."

The telltale sign of food poisoning is usually the quick onset of thesymptoms. Foodborne illnesses are, by and large, illness that occur inclose proximity to exposure. If a large number of people have the samesymptoms at the same time, then the cause is most likely food poisoning.However, if people are ill at different times their symptoms are more likelyto be flu-related, as it takes time to pass the virus from person to person.

David adds, "Though most foodborne disease outbreaks don't occur duringthe holidays (they occur most often in the summer), the holidays warrantspecial attention because certain foods and food practices popular duringthe season can increase the risk for foodborne illness."

The Health Department staff offers the following food safetysuggestions:

* Cook: Cook to proper temperatures. Foods are properly cooked when theyare heated for a long enough time and at a high enough temperature to killthe harmful bacteria that cause foodborne illness.

* Chill: Refrigerate promptly. Public health officials advise consumers torefrigerate foods quickly because rapid cooling to 41 degrees slows thegrowth of harmful bacteria. Refrigerators should be set at 41 degreesFahrenheit and the freezer at 0 degrees, and the accuracy of the settingsshould be checked occasionally with a thermometer.

According to David, "The holidays don't always make it easy for foodhandlers to follow this advice. One reason is that people get caught up inthe hectic pace of the holiday season. People get sloppy. They're busy,and they lose the vigilance that they might follow at other times of theyear. The traditional advice should always be applied: Keep hot foods hotand cold foods cold."

For more information on food safety you may contact the HealthDepartment at (309) 852-0197 (Henry) or (309) 852-3115 (Stark) or visit ourwebsite at www.henrystarkhealth.com or find us on Facebook at Henry andStark County Health Departments.